Associate Justice of The Supreme Court of The Philippines - Notable Associate Justices

Notable Associate Justices

• To date, one Associate Justice, José P. Laurel, would later serve as President of the Philippines. Laurel also ran for the presidency in 1949 but was defeated by Elpidio Quirino. Another Associate Justice, Claro M. Recto, would be a candidate for President, but he and former Chief Justice Jose Yulo lost to Carlos P. Garcia in the 1957 presidential election.

• The fourteen women appointed as Associate Justices of the Court: Cecilia Muñoz-Palma (1973); Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera (1979); Irene Cortes (1986); Carolina Griño-Aquino (1987); Flerida Ruth Romero (1991); Minerva Gonzaga-Reyes (1998); Consuelo Ynares-Santiago (1999); Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (2000); Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez (2002); Conchita Carpio-Morales (2002); Minita Chico-Nazario (2003); Teresita Leonardo-de Castro (2007); Maria Lourdes Sereno (2010); and Estela Perlas-Bernabe (2011).

• Abdulwahid Bidin was the first Muslim named an Associate Justice. He was appointed by President Corazón Aquino in 1987. The vast majority of Filipinos appointed to the Court were Catholic. Three of the more prominent non-Catholics in the Supreme Court are Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos and Chief Justice Reynato Puno, both Methodists, while incumbent Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is a non-denominational Christian.

• There has been one husband and wife pair who have both served on the Court; Chief Justice Ramon Aquino and Associate Justice Carolina Griño-Aquino. Griño-Aquino was appointed to the Court only after her husband had retired. There have been four father-son pairs who have served in the Court: Associate Justices Florentino Torres (1901–1920) and Luis P. Torres (1949–1950); Chief Justice Ricardo Paras (1941–1961) and Associate Justice Edgardo Paras (1987–1992); Associate Justices Sabino Padilla (1946–1948, 1950–1961) and Teodoro Padilla (1987–1997); and Associate Justices Felicisimo Feria (1945–1953) and Jose Feria (1986–1987). Other prominent interrelated Justices were Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos and Associate Justice Vicente Abad Santos (uncle-nephew), and Associate Justice Manuel Briones and Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan (uncle-nephew).

• At age 35, the American George A. Malcolm was the youngest person ever appointed Associate Justice, in 1915. Given the present age limit under the Constitution, it is unlikely that this record will ever be broken. The youngest Filipinos named Associate Justices were Claro M. Recto (45 years, 4 months, 25 days old) and Ramon Avanceña (45 years, 5 months, 18 days old).

• The oldest person ever named Associate Justice was José C. Campos, Jr., who was 69 years, 4 months and 23 days old upon his appointment by President Fidel Ramos in 1993. However, Jose Lopez Vito was 69 years, 364 days old when he was temporarily designated to sit on the Court to fill a vacancy during the Japanese Occupation. The oldest Justice seated at the Court upon his retirement or death was Florentino Torres, who was 75 years old when he resigned in 1920, at a time when the present age limit of 70 years was not yet in place.

• The longest serving Associate Justice was the American E. Finley Johnson, who served in that position for 29 years, 5 months and 27 days, from 1903 to 1933. The longest serving Filipino Associate Justice was Florentino Torres, who served for 18 years, 10 months, and 3 days, from 1901 to 1920. Justices Ramon Avanceña and Cesar Bengzon would serve longer in the Court than Torres, but their tenure as Associate Justice was terminated by their respective promotions to Chief Justice.

• The Associate Justice serving the shortest period was Ramon Diokno, a former Senator who died within 2 months, 11 days from his appointment to the Court in 1954.

• The longest-lived Associate Justice was most likely Delfin Jaranilla, who died on June 4, 1980, aged 96 years, 5 months and 11 days. He outlived by a few months Associate Justice (and Chief Justice) Cesar Bengzon, who died on September 3, 1992 aged 96 years, 3 months and 5 days. The Supreme Court website identifies Justice Guillermo Pablo as having died at the age of 106, but this is likely erroneous. Other Associate Justices who lived to be nonagenarians include Ricardo Paras, J.B.L. Reyes, Querube Makalintal, Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, Conrado Vasquez, Jose P. Bengzon, Pastor Endencia, and the still-living Lorenzo Relova.

• The youngest Associate Justice to die was the American Fletcher Ladd, who died shortly after resigning in 1903 aged 40 years, 356 days. Ladd had served in the Court for less than two years. The youngest Filipino Justice to die was Jose Abad Santos, who was executed by the Japanese at age 56 years, 2 months, 16 days. Gregorio Perfecto died in office aged 57 years, 8 months, 20 days.

• The most recent Associate Justice to die in office was Leo Medialdea, who died in 1992. Other Associate Justices who died during their incumbency were Fernando Jugo, Ramon Diokno, Gregorio Perfecto, Ignacio Villamor, Carlos Imperial and Charles Johns.

• The only Associate Justice who resigned before the age of compulsory retirement, due to health reasons, was Austria-Martinez. Note that Florentino Feliciano retired at 67 to accept appointment to the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. On September, 2008, Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez, citing health reasons, filed a letter to the Supreme Court of the Philippines thru Reynato Puno, tendering her resignation effective April 30, 2009, or 15 months before her compulsory retirement on December 19, 2010. In the October 1 Judicial and Bar Council's en banc deliberations, Reynato Puno ruled: “The court merely noted it. We don’t have to approve it... it is her right.” During the JBC hearing, a JBC member said "Austria-Martinez had wanted to retire earlier because of health reasons. We were told she had health problems even when she was in the CA.” Retired Chief Justice of the Philippines Artemio Panganiban stated: "I am saddened that Justice Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez has opted to retire early from the Supreme Court due to 'health reasons.' She is not bedridden. Neither is she physically or mentally incapacitated, but she has chosen to retire on April 30, 2009 because she felt she could no longer cope with the heavy caseload." The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines provides that: "Section 11, Article VIII. The Members of the Supreme Court xxx shall hold office during good behavior until they reach the age of seventy years or become incapacitated to discharge the duties of their office."